Top Of The Pops 1978 - BBC4

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  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    Frood wrote: »
    Good love and a good "out" from Rod.

    I think you'd have to dig pretty deep to find a better edition in all the years of TotP.

    Rather lucky the evil Saville wasn't booked to do it.

    Looking at it now, with Savile absent, it makes it seem amazing he was not taken off by 1978 rather than all the way into 1984. If they did show him on a 1978 edition I'd feel like I was watching 1976 again now. Kid makes it seem so much more relevant, along with Peter Powell.
  • SgtRockSgtRock Posts: 11,302
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    It was indeed a great show and a quantum leap above the last couple of episodes we've seen.:)
  • UrsulaUUrsulaU Posts: 7,239
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    Rich Tea. wrote: »
    Surely that was one of the GREAT shows of the Top Of The Pops era?

    It must be - as I can remember all those acts/songs from the first time round it was on!! :eek: These songs all stand out for a reason! - Cause they were classics! :)
  • SgtRockSgtRock Posts: 11,302
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    Rich Tea. wrote: »
    Looking at it now, with Savile absent, it makes it seem amazing he was not taken off by 1978 rather than all the way into 1984. If they did show him on a 1978 edition I'd feel like I was watching 1976 again now. Kid makes it seem so much more relevant, along with Peter Powell.

    When did Peter Powell start referring to it as "The Pops"? Some time in the 80s presumably?
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    UrsulaU wrote: »
    It must be - as I can remember all those acts/songs from the first time round it was on!! :eek:

    I dare say that this edition was on in the house at the time, but I have no recollection of it at all. But then even when I was 8 or 9 I had to be in bed by 7.30pm or 8pm latest! :(

    My earliest direct memory of Kid Jensen on an edition of TOTP is him introducing Ian Dury at No2 with Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick the week before it made the top. So that is late January 1979. I suppose that must be the edition of Thursday, 18th January, 1979 then.
  • chemical2009bchemical2009b Posts: 5,250
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    All going well, next week should be the last time a DLT episode gets skipped before he answers bail sometime next month.
  • ServalanServalan Posts: 10,167
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    mal2pool wrote: »
    Anyone know...wasn't Man with the child in his eyes a flop when first released. They released it a couple of weeks later then it was a hit. Maybe my imagination...

    Sorry - it is indeed your imagination.

    This is what happened ...
    Record company, EMI had originally chosen another track, "James and the Cold Gun" as the lead single, but Bush was determined that "Wuthering Heights" would be the first release from the album. She won out eventually in a surprising show of determination for a young musician against a major record company, and this would not be the only time she took a stand against them to control her career.

    Two music videos were created to accompany "Wuthering Heights." In one version, Bush can be seen performing the song in a dark room filled with white mist while wearing a white dress (which was the UK release); in the other, the singer dances in an outdoor environment while wearing a red dress (which was done for the American release).

    The release date for the single was initially scheduled to be 4 November 1977. However, Bush was unhappy with the picture being used for the single's cover and insisted it be replaced. Some copies of the single had already been sent out to radio stations, but EMI relented and put back the single's launch until the New Year. This proved to be a wise choice ultimately, as the earlier release would have had to compete with Wings' latest release, "Mull of Kintyre", which became the biggest-selling single in UK history up to this point in December 1977.

    "Wuthering Heights" was finally released on 20 January 1978, was immediately playlisted by Capital Radio and entered their chart at no. 39 on 27 January. It crept into the national Top 50 in week ending 11 February at No.42. The following week it rose to No.27 and Bush made her first appearance on Top of the Pops ("It was like watching myself die", recalls Bush), The song was finally addded to Radio One's playlist the following week and became one of the most played records on radio.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuthering_Heights_(song)
  • fayebeatlefayebeatle Posts: 1,413
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    Really enjoyed tonight's totp. Kate bush, Abba, Rose Royce, Elkie Brooks, Bee Gees, awesome stuff this ones staying on my hard drive !:D
  • Rich Tea.Rich Tea. Posts: 22,048
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    All going well, next week should be the last time a DLT episode gets skipped before he answers bail sometime next month.

    .....and gets told he has nothing to answer.
  • mrbernaymrbernay Posts: 145,832
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    Rich Tea. wrote: »
    I dare say that this edition was on in the house at the time, but I have no recollection of it at all. But then even when I was 8 or 9 I had to be in bed by 7.30pm or 8pm latest! :(

    My earliest direct memory of Kid Jensen on an edition of TOTP is him introducing Ian Dury at No2 with Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick the week before it made the top. So that is late January 1979. I suppose that must be the edition of Thursday, 18th January, 1979 then.

    This was the 16th February 1978 edition ;)

    We skip a week next week (Savile or DLT ?) and go to 2nd March 1978.
  • ramraider1ramraider1 Posts: 14,177
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    Agree with everyone about the quality of music tonight. Doubt we will get a better episode from the remaining 10 months - but who knows ? I think Haydn said there is plenty of good music out there nowadays - he may be right but the difference is that back in 1978 the best music did tend to be on the Pops or the OGWT and you didn't have to make much of an effort to find it. Nowadays the best music is most certainly not in the Top 40 ... e.g Haim's brilliant Don't Save Me. Changed days ....:cry:
  • UrsulaUUrsulaU Posts: 7,239
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    All going well, next week should be the last time a DLT episode gets skipped before he answers bail sometime next month.

    It'll be too late - we will have missed Blondie's first appearance!! :(
  • U.R.CorrectU.R.Correct Posts: 1,886
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    Listening to Stargard Which way is up playing over the top 30 countdown , I couldn't help thinking how much they sounded like Rose Royce.
    Anyone know if they had the same producers or backing singers or like ?
  • mrbernaymrbernay Posts: 145,832
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    UrsulaU wrote: »
    It'll be too late - we will have missed Blondie's first appearance!! :(

    "Denis" IIRC ;)
  • iaindbiaindb Posts: 13,278
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    Others have complained before but Kate Bush tonight was the first time the TOTP orchestra has irritated me.

    Rose Royce - what a beautiful video,

    Bee Gees - classic video.:D edit: And the Abba one, too.:D


    Lots of great tracks tonight.

    :)
  • 80sfan80sfan Posts: 18,522
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    Torch81 wrote: »
    Agnetha Faltstog could turn a gay man straight! :D

    Ha ha!! Anni-Frid's naughty winks in that video almost make me wish I liked ladies :D
  • 80sfan80sfan Posts: 18,522
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    I saw Samantha Sang is now in the top 30 with her beautiful song 'Emotion'. Does anyone know if this song gets featured in a future episode? I love that song, such a shame it just missed the top ten.

    If it does feature, please let it not be a Savile/DLT edition!
  • Robbie01Robbie01 Posts: 10,417
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    Listening to Stargard Which way is up playing over the top 30 countdown , I couldn't help thinking how much they sounded like Rose Royce.
    Anyone know if they had the same producers or backing singers or like ?
    It was the same writer and producer as Rose Royce, Norman Whitfield, who wrote the song which was written as the theme tune to the Richard Pryor movie, "Which Way Is Up".
  • Tele_addictTele_addict Posts: 1,113
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    80sfan wrote: »
    I saw Samantha Sang is now in the top 30 with her beautiful song 'Emotion'. Does anyone know if this song gets featured in a future episode? I love that song, such a shame it just missed the top ten.

    If it does feature, please let it not be a Savile/DLT edition!

    Yes, the video to the song is shown on the Noel Edmonds hosted episode due to be shown next week :)
  • Robbie01Robbie01 Posts: 10,417
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    80sfan wrote: »
    I saw Samantha Sang is now in the top 30 with her beautiful song 'Emotion'. Does anyone know if this song gets featured in a future episode? I love that song, such a shame it just missed the top ten.

    If it does feature, please let it not be a Savile/DLT edition!
    She features once, and it's not in a JS/DLT edition... and not too long to wait either!
  • U.R.CorrectU.R.Correct Posts: 1,886
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    Robbie01 wrote: »
    It was the same writer and producer as Rose Royce, Norman Whitfield, who wrote the song which was written as the theme tune to the Richard Pryor movie, "Which Way Is Up".[/

    Thanks
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 85
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    Zeus555 wrote: »
    Regarding ABBA's 1978 Singles - I loved 'Take A Chance On Me', but, then there was a
    gap of several Months, until 'Summer Night City' was released, & I just could not get into
    that ABBA Single, at the time. It seemed to lack something. I was not surprised when it
    got no higher than No.5 in the UK. I knew it wasn't a No.1, as soon as I heard it.

    Summer Night City is one of my favourite Abba singles... it would be in my top 5 of their many great singles. The beauty of everybody having different views of songs. :)
  • Tele_addictTele_addict Posts: 1,113
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    Such a shame they are missing out next week's episode. It looks like a good one. We will miss Blondie's first performance, Legs and Co dancing to Free All Right Now, Eruption I Cant Stand the Rain and Brian and Michael Matchstalk Cats and Dogs. Hopefully they will see fit to show it once DLT is cleared.
  • Tele_addictTele_addict Posts: 1,113
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    Tonight was a great episode, so many hits!! It's amazing how the show has transformed since 1976.
  • 80sfan80sfan Posts: 18,522
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    Yes, the video to the song is shown on the Noel Edmonds hosted episode due to be shown next week :)
    Robbie01 wrote: »
    She features once, and it's not in a JS/DLT edition... and not too long to wait either!

    Brilliant!! Thanks for the replies, I'll look forward to it :cool:
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